Centre plans to give cycles to minority girls as ‘study incentive’

Lucas L Kamsuan,deputy secretary of the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs,wrote a letter to the chief secretaries of all states early this month,informing the states about the Centre’s decision to introduce the scheme across the country in financial year 2012-13. The Centre has sought the state government’s “suggestion/ comment/input”.

“The scheme,according to Kamsuan’s letter,is aimed at retaining girl students in higher education. Girls from lower economic strata often discontinue study because of financial constraints. They are forced to discontinue education because of social evils like child marriage. The trend is more in the minority community,” a senior state minority affairs department official said,confirming that such a letter had reached Writers’ Buildings.

In West Bengal,bicycles are distributed to students from economically weaker sections,Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. The backward class welfare department is the implementing agency of the scheme. Poor girl students from the general category were also brought under the scheme recently. But the minority affairs department has no such scheme of its own,the official maintained.

The Centre,according to the official,has proposed to provide 50 per cent of the funds for the scheme. The remaining 50 per cent will have to be arranged by the concerned state governments. In Union Territory areas,the scheme will be totally funded by the Centre,according to the letter.

“Primarily it has been decided that girl students belonging to minority families having annual income less than Rs 1 lakh will get the benefits of the scheme. Some other criteria could be included,” the minority department official said quoting Kamsuan’s letter.

“Some state governments like that of West Bengal are either implementing the scheme or have already decided to implement the scheme. The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has advised these state governments to formulate alternative schemes,” the official said.